To not understand why people buy non-fitted shoes for toddlers?

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How do people feel about this? I've seen babies get converse etc for their first shoes, but I was always led to believe kids needed width fitted shoes until they were at least two? All the clothes shops from Tesco to marks&spencer do kids shoes from size 3/4 but I just wouldn't feel right if they weren't properly fitted by somebody trained in shoe fitting? Aibu?

I think if they don't get startrite they end up pregnant at sixteen, in jail by 18 and use box hair dyes don't they?

Years and years ago I trained as a Clarkes shoe fitter and I have to say never bother with buying them for my kids or grandkids.

It really is easy to check if they fit - Most important is to get the child to stand up straight so all their weight is on their feet. not too big over the top of the foot and check about 1-2 cm growing room in front of the big toe. Check if the shoe is hard leather that it is not going to rub on the ankle bone and that it is not too tight around the back of the foot. Also check if the small toes are cramped - these issues tend not to matter so much in trainers or softer shoes.

Then get the child to walk up and down and see if there is excessive wrinkling over the top and if they slip on the heel.

Its all common sense really.

Badly fitting shoes can cause major long term problems but they have to be very badly fitted and for a long period of time. Most modern kids would be complaining of pain way before the damage could be done.

Whenever these threads come up I feel the need to say that when my 2 year old was seeing a physio she explained how shops providing shoe fitting such as Clarkes was just a marketing strategy. As long as the shoe fits ur fine. She suggested comparing the sole, or insole if removable to the child's foot. There should be a little room all the way round.

I haven't used 2nd hand shoes, I notice if I have borrowed shoes that they feel very different to my own, feet are unique and the way we distribute weight onto our feet is also so. I wait for sales and get reduced Clarks similar, Doc Martins are good too and have sales.

Babies and toddlers (and older children too) need shoes that protect their feet from sharp objects and offer a bit of warmth when it's cold. The most important things are that the shoes offer a fully flexible sole that bends with the foot, and a wide enough toe box for the toes to spread out when walking.

They. Do. Not. Need. Support.
(Unless there are specific orthopaedic problems).

Stiff-soled shoes that make the wearer clomp around rather than walk by flexing the foot are bad for foot development and posture. Built-up boots that prevent the ankle from flexing are the same. Shoes shouldn't interfere with walking: a child should have the same gait barefoot and shod.

Clarks sell some good, flexible shoes and some awful, stiff shoes. Strict width fittings are sold as being important in over-structured, stiff shoes because they aim to encase the foot and leave it little ability to move. Width fittings aren't so important in minimal, flexible shoes because they aim to allow the foot to spread out and move naturally.

Lots of companies sell excellent flexible shoes, sometimes called barefoot shoes as they aim to encourage the same style of walking that children naturally adopt when barefoot - Bobux, Vivobarefoot, Livie and Luca, some Pediped, etc. All of these shoes can be fitted by measuring at home. Only unusually narrow or wide feet might need some advice about which brand might suit best - as a pp linked earlier, happylittlesoles.com are great for this.

I think a lot of people have cottoned on to the fact that "fitting" in Clarks is a con. It used to be a 2 hour wait in Clarks just before the end of the summer holidays, now you could walk in and be seen straight away. The worst fitting pair of shoes DD1 had were from Clarks, never again. Took me practically staging a sit in to get my money back too!

I havent bought Clarks shoes in years. Its perfectly obvious when a shoe is too big or too small, and if you are only spending £10 in Asda or wherever, then it doesnt matter so much if they are grown out of in 2 months.

The "foot measure" is a called Brannock Device.

Kids in US seem to spend their time in either trainers or flip flops (at least that's what I've seen when I'm on holiday) and I don't think they fit shoes there.

Sure we do.

They don't need shoes to protect them from sharp objects when they are only walking around carpeted houses?

Well, shoot me now

My mum used to scrimp and save to get me fitted shoes when growing up as thought this but I have the worst feet in the world, no matter how much I pay for shoes they hurt and blister so honestly I'm not sure it makes that much difference!

I always had properly fitted Clarkes shoes when I was growing up and as a teenager I never had "fashion" shoes. I'm now 49 so been walking for 48 years and can honestly say I have no foot problems like bunions or funny looking feet but I don't like wearing heels either.

In my case - because the fitters at the 2 clarks around here are utter rubbish - last time I went: " you son would need c width shoes, but we don't sell these. Let's go for a size 5.5 instead of a 7, so they don't fall off". I didn't buy (obviously), and got myself some nice, narrow Italian shoes for him (same price!). I've had previous experiences similar to this, including to suggest 3 insoles ( that's half an inch of extra sole!) in his shoes so never again clarks! Other shoes might not have a fit in terms of official letter, but you can see how wide they are, and measure how long they and your child's foot are.

clarks are rip offs, they always measure my sons feet wrong saying he is 2 sizes bigger than he should be, so we try the shoes on and they are huge on him and they are saying it's fine. erm no they are coming off the back of his feet and he will be tripping over all the time. i always buy my sons shoes from shops like primark, schuh and supermarkets and i always check that they fit him properly before buying them.

I bought a shoe gauge so I measure DD's feet myself every month or two. I then shop around to find decent shoes in a sale and check the fit myself.
The first couple pairs of shoes I took her to clarks to check I'd measured properly and they always got the same measurement as I'd got at home.
I don't get second hand shoes for her though, I just don't think it's as comfortable to wear shoes that have been used by another person. If it was all I could afford then I would. I don't judge those who do that.

Perfectlybroken I had my daughters doctor tell me this too as long as the show fits and has a little growing room the price is not important she does not think Clarke's etc are necessary my kids were all sorts from expensive to cheap and at home are always barefoot.

You were led to believe that from the marketing people in Clarks etc. Now, why would they want you to think that you have to buy their expensive shoes and not cheaper ones elsewhere?

This ^^ Apparently, they don't have all the different shoe widths on the continent (or maybe just France, I dunno).

I always had properly fitted shoes as my mother insisted on it. And I did the same for DC until DH pointed out that my feet are fucked (and they are) so it didn't help me in any way. Plus DS had a habit of pulling off one shoe and chucking it away without me noticing which meant shopping at Clarks cost me a small fortune.

My son was born with Talipes (club foot) - extremely important to get support for him and he also had two different size feet so fitted shoes important for us when he wasn't wearing his orthopedic boots.

YANBU, although I'm not surprised that most people on here disagree with you! I buy Primark clothes but fork out for shoes, and it's a good job as DD has a high instep so needs fitted shoes. I know some people can't afford Clarks etc but I know people also who do begrudge paying £30 for shoes for a 1yo. My SIL has always bought her DD DVDs by the bucket load since she was 6 months old, she's collecting all the Disney ones and has about £500 worth but refuses to spend any more than a tenner on shoes because it's a waste result is my niece is forever in crappy scuffed shoes, I know SIL can afford better but she feels she'd be cheated if she spent more than a tenner on kids' shoes! I do get that it's a lot of money but you et what you pay for and all that jazz

Also re the fitting in Clarks - I think it's hit and Miss depending on the store. I live near an outlet store where the shoes are much cheaper than in the main Clarks shops. However they're crap at measuring feet, so I go to the Clarks in the city nearby and get her feet measured then once I know the size go back to the outlet store to buy shoes. Huge PITA but DD got completely the wrong shoes when they measured her in the outlet store so not running that risk again

But thats the point Cherry, when it comes to Clarks you often dont get what you are paying for! You are paying for a top quality professional service and what you get is someone who has been given half arsed "training" selling you whatever they can wedge your kids feet into in order to not lose a sale.

They don't need shoes to protect them from sharp objects when they are only walking around carpeted houses?

Probably not - barefoot is best indoors! But if you have wooden floors and older DC who sometimes leave a trail of sharp bits of grit and twigs when coming in from outside, then minimal slippers or moccasins can save toddlers from hurt

I often get DD sized in Clarks and then go off and buyer cheaper shoes elsewhere. I'd love to be able to afford fitted shoes for DD every few months but I just can't afford it.

My DS has been wearing Converse (as well as Clarks and Geox) since he was about 18m old... but we buy them from an independent children's shoe shop where they get checked by a fitter so I don't see the issue really and would be annoyed if someone was judging me because of it!

DS2 refused point blank to wear any shoes that hadn't already been broken in by his big brother when he was a toddler. The first time I took him to clarks for a fitting, they made such a balls up of it that he ended up with massive blisters on his heels.

He started wearing piedro bots when he was a little older and they were only fitted "properly" the first time, when they took a mould of his feet for his inserts and everything. After that, we went along, they looked at the footprint on the inserts and said "yep, we'll order a 8 1/2" or whatever.

Clarks shoes (and fitters) are wildly overrated. The staff are sent on a course that lasts a couple of hours.
You're paying for a (mostly clueless) teenager with a barely earned badge to tell what is right for your own child, it's nuts.
And yes, I was that clueless teenager!
We're a comfortably off household and I cringed paying £30-£50 for shoes that last five minutes (quality wise!) so I just don't anymore.
Clarks themselves will tell you that you will need new after 6-8wks (which is also total bollocks) and if you ventured in to ask if your perfectly ok fitting shoes still fit, they'd tell you no and sting you for another £30.
No thankyou!